Today, computers are common. Even the most conservative analysts suggest thatover forty percent of Canadian homes have one, and this figure risesdramatically to well over sixty percent in urban centers, particularly in homeswhen there are school-aged children or adults with professional or managerialjobs. Buying a computer can be a daunting task, particularly if you’re new tothe high technology marketplace.
You will be spending anywhere from one toseveral thousand dollars on the computer equipment alone, so you’ll need to dohomework first. According to one old IBM advertisement, the average personspends fifteen weeks, five days, twenty- three hours and fifty-eight minutessearching for a new computer. If you’re like most consumers, you’ll spend thattime checking with a number of sources for the information you need to makedecisions. In order to save time and energy for buying a computer, you mustfollowing the three steps: setting you up to doing your homework, focusing onthe homework itself to help you make decisions, and nailing your decision downto closing the sale. These three steps will not only saving your time andenergy, it will also provide you the guidance you’ll need to buy your computer.
Your fist step along the way to purchase your computer is to do your homework. Homework might include the following: learning the lingo, doing some research,visiting a few stores and dealing with salespeople. First, you should learn thelingo. Knowing the Lingo will save you a lot of times toward buying computerbecause you will face many opportunities to use it.
For example, without knowingthese jargon, you might have difficulty understanding when you read the computermaterials; you might have difficulty understanding the conversation withcomputer salespeople. As a result, it is worth of spending sometime tounderstand the meaning of lingo. For example: Hardware, Software, Chip, CPU, PC,ROM, RAM. Second, you should do some research to getting more information aboutcomputer. You can research through local daily newspaper.
Local daily newspapermay have a computer section. There are also monthly computer newspapers. InCanada, there are a number of free Canadian publications such as the ComputerPaper, Our Computer Player (Vancouver), Toronto Computes, Ottawa Monitor,Winnipeg Computer Post are some of the examples you can search from. If you haveaccess to the Internet, it might also be a good place for doing some research.
Furthermore, the Internet also has various newsgroups that specialize in thesubject. There are also a variety of independent sites on the Web hosted byindividual with a mission to provide analysis. Finally, we come to visiting thecomputer stores and dealing with the salespeople. Shopping around three to fivedifferent computer stores is also helpful toward buying a computer.
Manycomputer stores offer similar computer products with different price andwarranty. It is wise to talk to the salespeople, asking as many question as youhave. Don’t fret if you think your expertise is not the state of the art. Infact, if you are willing to learn as you shop and take your time, you will endup making an informed choice.
The second step is focuses on the homework itselfby providing distinctions among the basic hardware options that will help you tomake some fundamental choices. As a result, there are several points that youshould know: the type, the feature, and the location of buying computer. Firstpoint, you have to consider what type of the computer do you need. It is usuallythe first choice every computer shopper has to make is between an IBM-compatible, which is also known simply as a PC (for personal computer), and anApple Macintosh. The two rivals are built with different operating systems,which until recently meant that software made for one of them couldn’t run onthe other.
In other ward, if you want the lowest price and the widest possiblechoice of software, go with a PC. If ease of use matters most to you, then youshould pick a Macintosh. The second point you should consider is the feature ofthe computer. You should ask yourself ” How much computer power do youneed? ” Whether you commit to a Mac or a PC, you want computing poweradequate to your personal needs plus some room to grow- without spending forfeatures you’ll never use. It’s important getting to know the three essentialcomputer components: the microprocessor, Random-access memory, and Hard drivecapacity. Understanding just those three components might have been enough foryou to choose a respectable computer.
But now, home computers can perform farmore tasks, there are other terms that belong on your must-know list. Make sure,for example, that you get a CD-ROM drive, the device for reading compact disksthat was virtually unheard of on home computers before 1992. Besides, you shouldalso consider how much you should spend on the computer’s video and audio. Muchof the latest software comes with sound-ranging from simple human speech to fullorchestras.
The third point is the location to buy the computer. Today, you canbuy a home computer at specialized computer shops; electronics stores that alsocarry things like stereo system; discount office- supply stores like OfficeDepot and Staples; vast computer ” superstores” like Comp USA; andmail-order operations of every size and description. Your decision here willdepend both on how much you can afford to pay and on how much hand-holding youneed while you pick out your system. In general, you will get the most personalattention from computer shops and the least from mail order outlets, with theothers somewhere in between.
The last step is the home stretch, where we willdiscuss what’s involved in nailing your decision down. At this point, you arealmost ready to buy your new computer. You have created your plan, done somehomework, and you have learned what the jargon means. In this final stage, youshould know the several points: budgeting, warranting and getting the manuals.
The first point- budgeting is the first and most important thing to realize whenassessing price quotes. Unless each component is listed and specified bymanufacturer and model, you don’t have enough information to make a valid pricecomparison. As a result, identifying the components and assessing their positionin the quality and performance pecking order will have occupied most of yourhomework. The second point- warranting is also important element while buyingyour computer.
It doesn’t matter how many promises the nice salesperson makes toyou. If those promises are not in writing, they don’t exist. So, getting thewarranties, guarantees and promises on writing is very important point toremember. Beside, you should also find out how long the store had been inbusiness and whether there were any other satisfied customers.
Your best sourceof information here are your friends, local computer user groups, and InternetUSENET newsgroups. The last steps, getting the manuals to in order to protectsyou in the future. In fact, the manuals are yours by right and they are a basicprotection for you, whether you ever want to open the system yourself or not. Think about it, if the retailer goes belly up, how else will you get someone tofix the system if it breaks? As a result, one can see that buying a new computeris not an easy task to do. It involved a lot of steps for you to do somehomework.
Lot of problems and even some tears come from people who never talkedto anyone else, didn’t do any research, and took the salesperson’s word foreverything. Computers are supposed to help you make some part of your lifebetter, and using them should be enjoyable. If you don’t agree with that, weshould be meet in here. Buying one shouldn’t be terror, either. Wish you Goodluck for buying a new computer.
